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The 2004 Myanmar cyclone was considered the worst to strike the country since 1968. The second tropical cyclone of the 2004 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, it formed as a depression on May 16 in the central Bay of Bengal. With low wind shear and a surge in the monsoon trough, the storm intensified while meandering over open waters. The storm eventually began a steady northeastward motion due to a ridge to the north over India. While approaching land, an eye developed in the center of the storm, indicative of a strong cyclone. On May 19, the cyclone made landfall along northwestern Myanmar near Sittwe, with maximum sustained winds estimated at 165 km/h (105 mph) by the India Meteorological Department. The storm rapidly weakened over land, although its remnants spread rainfall into northern Thailand and Yunnan province in China. Winds from the cyclone reached 157 km/h (98 mph) in Myanmar, occurring in conjunction with heavy rainfall and a high storm surge. Despite the storm's ferocity, the government did not report about the cyclone for ten days, as they usually under-report on landfalling storms. The cyclone caused heavy damage throughout Rakhine State, destroying or heavily damaging 4,035 homes and leaving 25,000 people homeless. There was widespread crop damage, resulting in food shortages, and damaged roads disrupted subsequent relief efforts. Damage in Myanmar totaled over K621 million kyat ($99.2 million USD), making it the worst storm in the country since 1968, and there were 236 deaths, with an unofficial death toll as high as 1,000. Although damage was heaviest in Myanmar, the cyclone's effects also spread into neighboring Bangladesh, where strong winds knocked over trees and capsized two ships. ==Meteorological history== Late on May 14, an area of convection, or thunderstorms, developed in the central Bay of Bengal about 880 kilometres (545 miles) south-southeast of Kolkata, India, associated with the monsoon trough. On May 15, the system developed into a low pressure area off the west coast of Myanmar (Burma). Initially, the convection was associated with a low-level circulation center, developing good outflow despite the presence of wind shear. As the shear decreased, the thunderstorms increased and organized, with the eastward-moving circulation partially exposed.〔 At 09:00 UTC on May 16, the India Meteorological Department classified the system as a depression, and nine hours later the agency upgraded it to a deep depression as the system turned northwestward.〔 The nascent system quickly organized, aided by the decreasing wind shear,〔 as well as a surge in the monsoon.〔 The IMD upgraded the depression to a cyclonic storm at 03:00 UTC on May 17.〔 At 12:00 UTC that day, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) began issuing warnings on the system with its own designation ''Tropical Cyclone 02B''. With weak steering currents, the storm meandered over the central Bay of Bengal, executing a small cyclonic loop over 30 hours. The cloud pattern organized into a central dense overcast that was initially irregular in nature. However, the storm quickly intensified on May 18, strengthening into a severe cyclonic storm and later very severe cyclonic storm. During this time, the cyclone turned eastward under the influence of a ridge over India to the north.〔 A buoy near the storm's center recorded a pressure of on May 18, the lowest recorded pressure in association with the storm. Convection increased around the center and organized into a distinct eye.〔 The JTWC upgraded the cyclone to the equivalent of a minimal hurricane at 00:00 UTC on May 19, estimating peak 1 minute sustained winds of 120 km/h (75 mph).〔 The IMD assessed a much higher intensity, estimating peak 3 minute winds of 165 km/h (105 mph) at 03:00 UTC that day.〔 About an hour later, the cyclone made landfall at peak intensity with an estimated pressure of in northwestern Myanmar near Sittwe, near the country's border with Bangladesh.〔〔〔 It weakened gradually over land,〔 dissipating over Myanmar late on May 19.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2004 Myanmar cyclone」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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